Yesterday at Agape Toastmasters we celebrated by holding a Red Carpet Awards event. It was a great opportunity to converse and get to know each other a little bit better. The room was festive, we had delicious and nutritious food catered by Linda Lloyd and many of us dressed up in evening wear even though the event started at 8:30 a.m.
One of the highlights of the morning is to hand out awards. There were many fun awards like Best Actress and Most Likely to Succeed and then there is the Toastmaster of the Year award that is won by popular vote. I really hadn’t been thinking much about awards that day. I was in charge of the entertainment for the party so I was busy setting up my iPod and my microphone and making sure the program was as enjoyable as possible.
When club president and Toastmaster for the day Cynthia Lamb was describing the winner she talked about someone who was dedicated, always of service to the board and someone who participated in events outside the club, at the District level. I thought to myself, “oh my goodness, Cynthia is the winner, why is she awarding herself the award? Why didn’t someone else give Cynthia the award?” But then Cynthia announced the winner’s name, Sheri Zampelli. That’s me. I was honored, surprised and shocked. I was also excited.
Winning the award was symbolic for me because it was an outward validation of an inner feeling that’s been growing in the past 6 months. I have literally felt myself break free from my shell each time I speak at Agape Toastmasters but I wasn’t always sure that others could see what I was feeling. Now I know they can and this encourages me to continue the journey of facing my fears and breaking out of the box completely. Several members of the club pulled me aside and told me how much I’ve changed in the year they’ve known me. It felt good to have witnesses because in someways, nothing has changed about me and yet everything is different. The trophy to me is simply a reminder that that “something” is real and I plan to continue on this journey and embrace the next adventure.
It is so appropriate that Cynthia Lamb is the one who handed me this award. It was after listening to her speech where she recounted her family’s dysfunctional behavior with a humorous twist that I opened my eyes and my heart to a way I could share my message and help others while also maintaining my dignity and integrity. I asked Cynthia for help, guidance and support and she gave me that and more. Agape Toastmasters gave me wings and made me feel like a star and for that, they deserve the award.
For more about Agapge Toastmasters, visit their website.
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After I broke out of my shell with the help of Agape Toastmasters, I started The Sheri and Erin Show. The show is designed to help listeners break free from self-imposed limitations so they can live their lives with joy and authenticity. To find out more visit Blog Talk Radio or click on the player below:
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